Go to a gun range which rents handguns and try out a bunch which interest you.
I was originally thinking of getting a SIG but didn't like the way it shot for me.
Tried out a Kimber 1911 .45 and liked it so much I bought one two weeks later.
The better you like it, the more you will shoot it and thus be more confident in a potental combat situation.
Love my Kimber Pro Crimson Carry. Great weight, amazing lack of recoil for its size and weight. Just a shame that .45 ACP is so hard to get...and so damned expensive. But you can always get the the .22 retrofit for target practice.